10 Keto-Friendly Pasta & Noodle Alternatives
What choices are there for pasta and ketogenic noodles? It’s a crucial question when approaching the most challenging aspect of any eating plan. How on the ketogenic diet can you still eat the comfort foods you love? Do you consume any kind of pasta or noodles with low enough carbs while on keto?
The good news is, there are plenty of keto friendly noodles and pasta alternatives to choose from. These low calorie food options will help you satisfy your cravings without derailing your diet or sacrificing flavor and health benefits. You can enjoy your favorite dishes again, all while staying on track with your keto goals.
1. Cucumber noodles
For cold keto meals, cucumbers are a fantastic, easy-to-find option. WebMD says a medium one has just 4g net carbs (great for keto!). Simply spiralizer or julienne the cucumber for instant, no-cook noodles. Remember that these refreshing noodles work best in chilled dishes and salads.
2. Eggplant pasta
Whole wheat noodles, eggplant, and a tasty tomato sauce make up this colourful and filling meal. For a fantastic fusion of tastes and textures, this dish also calls for red bell pepper, olives, lemon zest, and Parmesan.
This wholesome supper takes only thirty minutes to make. Ideal for a weeknight quick dinner. Because the ingredients can be easily changed to suit what’s in your kitchen, it’s also a tasty and adaptable option that highlights seasonal produce.
3. Hearts of Palm pasta
Another exciting option is Hearts of Palm pasta. This is a plant-based alternative, which you can find easily in several stores and brands. It comes from the core of certain palm trees, not the acai berry or coconut palm specifically.
To add, Hearts of Palm pasta has a stringy consistency, similar to mozzarella cheese, which makes it a perfect substitute for linguine in your favourite keto dishes.
4. Cabbage pasta
Yes, you can use cabbage as a substitute too! Use big, thin cabbage leaves for regular noodles if you’re a lasagna fan. They bake up beautifully and will hold all of your wonderful fillings.
Low-carb veggie noodles take up all the delicious flavours in your favourite pasta dishes. You may shred or thinly slice some cabbage. At only 2.3 grams of net carbs per cup, shredded cabbage is a great keto-friendly substitute.
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5. Low-carb Italian egg noodles
Next on our list of keto-friendly alternatives is Low-carb Italian egg noodles. Although all egg noodles are not the same, and most of them may have a lot of carbs. But you can create low-carb versions of it using different spices.
For instance, some original recipes out there use strong Italian spice blends and substitute flours to produce tasty and filling egg noodles with just 1 gm of net and total carbohydrates per serving.
6. Edamame pasta
This pasta is also a plant-based substitute with a taste and texture like wheat flour pasta. Its high fibre content keeps it keto friendly even though it does contain some carbohydrates (roughly 7 gm of net carbs per cup).
From lasagna sheets to spaghetti-like strands, edamame pasta comes in different forms, such as lasagna sheets and spaghetti strands.
7. Celeriac noodles
A celeriac root vegetable similar to celery provides another keto friendly noodle option. It is identical to kohlrabi noodles,i.e., tasty, low-carb pasta substitute.
However, each serving of celeriac noodles has a slightly higher net carb count—a 3.5-ounce serving has about 4.7 grams. This makes it perfect for recipes calling for other low-carb veggies or even as a covert addition to creamy chicken alfredo. Just watch the portion sizes!
8. Konjac noodles
Konjac noodles are the best among keto friendly noodles. Why? Because they are a popular keto choice for their near-zero carb content.
These noodles feel slightly slick when you eat them. They also come in a fishy-smelling liquid that has to be rinsed before use. Konjac noodles are a great approach to eating your favourite noodle dishes while following a ketogenic diet—just be ready to put up with a little different texture.
9. Kelp noodles
Even though they are an unusual substitute, kelp noodles are an excellent choice for salads, stir-fries, and other Asian-style pasta dishes. A serving of four ounces contains only 1 gm of net carbs.
Kelp noodles are made from brown seaweed; you can slice them or use the leaves instead of noodles in dishes like lasagne and other pasta dishes made with sheets.
10. Spaghetti squash pasta
Spaghetti squash is another excellent alternative to pasta because it has a texture and consistency comparable to that of pasta.
One cup of spaghetti squash contains 6.98 grams of carbohydrates or 5.46 grams of net carbs. The plant-based alternative is also very good at absorbing flavours from other foods. The strips resembling spaghetti are typically baked in dishes such as spaghetti, carbonara, chow mein, and pad thai.
Wrap-up
Choose your favourite recipe of keto friendly noodles or pasta from the options above. Whether it’s Eggplant Pasta, Celeriac Noodles, or Kelp Noodles, all of these choices are low-carb and can support your keto diet.
But don’t stop there! For even more variety and delicious flavours, check out Eat Water’s organic keto-friendly meals and get healthy ready meals delivered at your convenience. They offer ready-made options, perfect for busy days on the keto journey.